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Families with many children from Moscow, Tyumen, Tomsk, Donetsk, the Leningrad Region, the Krasnodar and Kamchatka territories, and the Chuvash and the Chechen republics joined the meeting with the President.

Also attending were Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova and Presidential Commissioner for Children’s Rights Maria Lvova-Belova.

The Order of Parental Glory, established by a Presidential Executive Order in 2008, is awarded to parents (adoptive parents) who are raising or have raised seven or more children.

The Mother Heroine title is conferred on mothers who have given birth to and raised ten or more children. The title conferral ceremony includes the presentation of the Mother Heroine Order. The title and the Order were established by a Presidential Executive Order in 2022.

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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, friends.

I would like to begin our meeting by wishing all the very best to the young citizens of Russia, as well as to their parents, grandparents, teachers and mentors on International Children’s Day.

This holiday is filled with warmth, joy and sincere emotions, and is widely celebrated in our country, where good traditions of continuity between generations and true family values are honoured and treasured. What can be more important for any child than a close-knit and friendly family, loving parents, relatives, and care taken by their teachers, educators, and mentors who are ready to offer advice, help, and support, including in a difficult situation in life if that happens.

The interests of families and children are the major focus of our efforts, of the government’s actions and decisions concerning various domains such as education, health care, the economy, housing development programmes, as well as the broader renewal of our cities, towns and villages.

Families, parents should be confident that the state is ready to provide them with the necessary support. It goes without saying that children should be given the widest opportunity for fulfilment, for unlocking their potential, applying their talents and abilities, and eventually finding their own way in life, making their wildest dreams come true and achieving success that’ll make everyone proud.

We will continue to create the best conditions for Russian families to have as many children as possible. Let me stress that this is the underlying goal of our state policy, a forward-looking effort, a contribution to our future.

I would like to wish all children happiness and joy. May your friends always be loyal and reliable. My friends, go for it, follow your dreams, aspire to and reach new heights of knowledge, and you will succeed.

Ahead of International Children’s Day, it is traditional in our vast country to honour large families. And today, I am pleased to welcome families whose parents are decorated with the Order of Parental Glory, as well as families whose mothers are holders of the Mother Heroine honorary title, a high distinction recently revived in our country.

Families like yours are certainly the pride of Russia. You cherish our best traditions and devote yourself to your children, bringing them up in an atmosphere of love, which is what matters most, and mutual support. You do your best to help them become happy, successful and upright people who will carry on the history of your families and ancestors, and will pass the values and principles that you hold dear and that unite our country to the future generations.

Of course, having a large family and bringing up children is hard daily work, as you know better than many. At the same time, children bring undeniable happiness to their parents, which people value more than anything else.

Your example, just like the examples of many other wonderful large families, is undeniable proof of this. I have no doubt that this example inspires many young people entering adult life.

Families with three or more children should become the norm, a natural way of life. It is the goal we are moving towards: over the past few years, the number of large families has increased by about 26 percent in Russia. There are about two million such families.

We continue to increase and improve the system of national support measures for families. As you may remember, this year we approved a unified status for large families. This has been done at the request of large families I have met with. This is extremely important for ensuring that all such families receive the same social guarantees throughout the country.

I hope that regional and local authorities will continue to complement existing federal measures with their own decisions and programmes, providing targeted support and assistance to families.

Families, especially large ones, should feel and be aware of the respect that the state and society have for them.

You know that 2024 has been declared the Year of the Family. The numerous events held within its framework, like the This Runs in Our Family contest and other interesting initiatives, including regional ones, have received an enthusiastic response.

I also hope that today you will share your views on the current support measures for the family, maternity and childhood. Which measures do you find especially effective and believe should be promoted throughout the country, and what improvements, if any, should be made.

I highly value such conversations and direct feedback, which I always take into account when making decisions.

Friends, I would like to congratulate you once again on the upcoming Children’s Day.

I also offer personal greetings to Lidia Semashkina, who has turned 17 today. I see in my notes that she is a first-year student at the Kamchatka College of Arts. Lidia, I wish you all the best in your profession, which is very interesting and captivating. I am confident that you will enjoy acquiring new knowledge, which you will later apply in practice, including when bringing up your own children.

To be continued.